The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss, declared
today that international standards have been met to declare the
country free from bird flu. However, she also reiterated calls
for all poultry keepers to remain vigilant for signs of the
disease as we move into this coming winter.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza continues to circulate in both
wild and captive birds in Europe and as winter approaches the
risk of migratory wild birds flying to the UK over the colder
months will mean that the risks for domestic poultry are likely
to rise.
Between November 2020 and March 2021, 26 cases of Avian Influenza
were confirmed in kept poultry and wild birds in the UK. In all
cases, movement restrictions were put in place to limit the
spread of disease and carried out thorough investigations into
the source and possible spread of infection.
The Government also introduced UK-wide measures to protect
poultry from infection from wild birds, including a requirement
to temporarily house birds and a ban on bird gatherings.
The UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss
said:
The last year has been very challenging for all those who keep
poultry and captive birds, and I would like to thank everyone for
their efforts in helping us contain the disease. This is an
important milestone that will help our efforts to re-open export
markets.
While we are now free of bird flu in this country there is a
constant risk of the disease returning through wild birds and
this is likely to increase as winter approaches, temperatures
fall, and more migratory birds start arriving in the UK.
Poultry and captive bird keepers should maintain good biosecurity
practises, such as cleaning footwear, feeding birds indoors, and
minimising contact with wild birds. Building these simple actions
into routines now will go a long way to limiting the risk of
future outbreaks.
Declaring the UK free from Avian Influenza means trade
discussions on UK poultry and poultry products can restart with
existing and potential new trading partners.
Advice to bird keepers
Simple measures can help to keep flocks disease free. All keepers
– whether they run a large commercial farm or keep just a few pet
chickens in their back garden – can take these simple steps to
reduce the risk of disease before the migration of wild birds
begins again this winter:
- Keep the area where birds live clean and tidy, control rats
and mice and regularly, disinfect any hard surfaces. Clean
footwear before and after visits.
- Keep chickens and turkeys completely separate from ducks and
geese.
- Place birds’ food and water in fully enclosed areas that are
protected from wild birds and remove any spilled feed regularly.
- Put fencing around outdoor areas where birds are allowed and
limit their access to ponds or areas visited by wild waterfowl.
- In Great Britain, stay alert by signing up online to a free
service to receive text or email alerts on any outbreaks of bird
flu in the UK.
The Government carries out ongoing surveillance in poultry and
wild birds and publishes regular disease updates for industry and
back-yard keepers. Further information on biosecurity measures
all bird keepers can take to keep their birds safe can be found
here.
Further Information:
- Under World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) rules, 28
days must elapse from the application of measures to prevent the
spread of disease or completion of final cleansing and
disinfection of the last infected premises before a country can
be declared disease-free. The final cleansing and disinfection on
the last affected infected premises was completed on Thursday 5
August 2021.
